Chimichuri to turn up Spring Spree heat

Chimichuri Run was named after a hot sauce used on beef steak in Argentina. He is a hot young horse too, and the likely favourite for Saturday’s grade 3 Spring Spree Stakes over 1,200m on the inside track at Turffontein.

Chimichuri Run has the credentials to win, with his five career runs including a grade1 placing in the Gold Medallion over 1,200m and a runaway win in the grade 3 Umkhomazi Stakes over 1,200m at Greyville on Super Saturday.

“We have a high regard for Chimichuri Run and he seems to have everything going for him in this race, except his weight, which may be too high, but we’ll see,” trainer Sean Tarry said on Thursday.

“Chimichuri Run won very well last time…. The handicapper may be right — he may well be worth his merit rating of 108, but he may be 104. This equates to 2kg less on his back, which could make the difference between winning and losing a race like this.”

Tarry said he would not have raced Chimichuri Run if the contest was held down the straight on the outside track.

“He’s well drawn here at No 3 and he is ideally course suited; he is better on the turn.

“He’s had to travel from Durban this week, but I don’t foresee that being a problem, we’re happy with him.”

The single obstacle in Chimichuri Run’s way is that he is a three-year-old and they invariably find an older horse to beat them at this time of year, no matter how good the younger horse’s form seems to be.

“Yes, that does come into play, but we have a decent horse here and the older horses don’t really scare me. Mike de Kock’s Mujallad will improve after being gelded, but he hasn’t drawn well,” Tarry said.